Review: 2025 VW Taos - A Practical Choice
Volkswagen has updated the Taos for the 2025 model year. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
The 2025 Taos gets a more eye-pleasing exterior and a more inviting passenger cabin. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
The Taos gets a new dash design, and more premium materials throughout. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
The interior is surprisingly roomy—almost as spacious as the Taos’ bigger brother, the Tiguan. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
Standard equipment is generous, even on the base front-wheel drive Trendline model. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
Must-have features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity are all standard equipment. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
As you move up in trim, VW adds on niceties like selectable driving modes. – Credit : Jack Kazmierski
Volkswagen has updated the Taos for the 2025 model year, giving it a more eye-pleasing exterior, a more inviting passenger cabin, and a few more ponies under the hood. Overall, it’s a very pleasing package.
The Taos is a very practical SUV, and according to VW, it’s also one of the brand’s best-selling vehicles. With the upgrades VW has made for 2025, the Taos is now more appealing than ever.
Besides the exterior facelift, the Taos gets a much-needed upgrade to the interior, complete with a new dash design, more premium materials throughout and a more modern look and feel overall. In addition, new acoustic dampening treatments make the Taos more cozy, quiet and comfortable than before.
The interior is surprisingly roomy—almost as spacious as the Taos’ bigger brother, the Tiguan—with ample room for passengers, as well as cargo. Front-wheel-drive models have 27.9 cu ft of luggage space behind the second row of seats, and 65.9 cu ft with the second row folded down. All-wheel drive models have 24.9 cu ft of space behind the second row, and 60.2 cu ft when the second row is folded.
Updated powertrain
Both front-wheel and all-wheel drive models come with the same upgraded 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that now makes 174 hp (up from 158 on the 2024 model), and 184 lb.-ft. of torque (same as the previous model).
The 16 extra horses are certainly a welcome upgrade, and the Taos is pleasant to drive, both on city roads and at highway speeds. However, the engine isn’t particularly gutsy, and the Taos is clearly not designed to satisfy any performance enthusiast’s need for speed, but that may actually suit most fleet managers just fine. After all, aggressive cornering, sudden braking and spirited acceleration are metrics that fleet managers tend to shun anyway.
The same smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission is standard on both front- and all-wheel drive models, and in a world where almost everyone seems to be offering continuously-variable transmissions, a good ol’ fashioned automatic is a welcome feature.
According to Natural Resources Canada, front-wheel drive Taos models offer slightly better fuel economy numbers (8.4/6.5/7.6 L/100 km; city/hwy/combined), than their all-wheel drive counterparts (9.4/7.2/8.4 L/100 km; city/hwy/combined), which is to be expected. During our week with the all-wheel drive Taos, we managed to squeeze 9.4 L/100 km (combined) out of our tester.
Well equipped
For 2025, VW Canada is offering the Taos in five different trims: Trendline, Trendline 4MOTION, Comfortline 4MOTION, Comfortline Black Edition 4MOTION and Highline 4MOTION.
Only Trendline models are available with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive, whereas all other trims are only available with 4MOTION, which is VW’s nomenclature for all-wheel drive. That’s not a bad thing, however, since many Canadian fleets prefer all-wheel drive anyway.
Standard equipment is generous, even on the base front-wheel drive Trendline model, which comes with a comprehensive list of infotainment and safety features, as well as creature comforts, like heated front seats. Must-have features like wired Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, USB Type-C ports with fast charging performance, adaptive cruise control, and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity are all standard equipment.
Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, a tire pressure monitoring system, active blind spot monitoring with rear traffic alert, and much more.
As you move up in trim, VW adds on niceties like selectable driving modes, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, parking distance control sensors (front and rear), a better sound system, remote start, satellite radio, wireless charging, leatherette or leather (only Trendline models get cloth seats), a panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, and other creature comforts.
Updated for the 2025 model year, Volkswagen’s smallest SUV has a lot to offer. Stylish and spacious, the new Taos benefits from key upgrades that are sure to make it a compelling choice for many fleet managers looking for a practical and fuel-efficient solution.
Price and Specifications
Year Make Model Trim
2025 Volkswagen Taos Highline
Base Price
$38,995
Notable Options
Green Metallic Paint: $500
19-inch Portland Alloy Wheels: $500
Price as Tested
$39,995
Engine
1.5L 4-cylinder
Transmission
Eight-speed automatic
Horsepower
175 hp
Torque
184 lb-ft.
Fuel Economy (NRCan)
9.4/7.2/8.4 L/100 km (city/hwy/combined)
Fuel Economy (Observed)
9.4 L/100 km (combined)
Good
Stylish exterior
Spacious interior
Ample cargo space
Bad
More power and torque would be nice
